I surprised a friend recently when I told her that I was hiring someone to do my spring garden clean-up this year. This friend has known me for twenty years, so she knows that in an earlier chapter I never could have imagined not doing my own gardening.
Looking back on my life, I can see the chapters with ever greater clarity. My friend met me in my “Growing My Kids” and “Growing My Garden” chapters, both of which were woven into the narrative of my book Blooming into Mindfulness.
Life chapters evolve, fading into one another gradually, overlapping for a time as new passions lead to new doors opening. The book itself opened many new doors and new chapters for me, among them “Growing My Mindfulness Teaching Skills,” “Growing My Nature Photography Skills,” and “Growing My Business Offerings.”
Each chapter brings a new layer of identity, a broader definition of “Who I am.” The trick to easeful personal growth is to remain curious, agile, welcoming, and grateful for the opportunity to express ourselves ever more fully in the world.
Just as important is noticing when we are holding on too tightly to outdated identities, habits, and thought patterns that hold us back from forward movement.
We only have so many hours in a day, week, month, and year. Mindful attention to what tasks, activities, and work choices spark positive emotion allows us to stay aligned with a sense of purpose and meaning.
There was a time when cleaning up my garden beds in the spring brought an absolute sense of joy and fulfillment to me. In this later life chapter, with other purposeful work calling me, I can let that task go without feeling that I am failing. On the contrary, letting go and asking for help is the power move, freeing up my time to generate more positive energy in the world, both in my personal and professional life.
After sharing these reflections with my friend in that conversation, she said, “I guess we’re allowed to evolve.” I would take that a step further…
We are CALLED to evolve.
What outdated patterns are holding you back from evolving? If you’re curious about exploring this and building the mental muscles to live a life of ease and flow, I’d love to hear about! Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me here.
